Developing a Sabbath Plan
From the moment I learned about the Sabbath, I wanted to devour every resource I could to gain a foothold on what I felt I had been missing out on for so long. And if you are anything like me, you have developed a desire to fill in the gaps when they appear. When it comes to Sabbath, there are many great resources out there. There are varying perspectives and application which each have something unique to offer. But I find one resource in particular to be an easy starting place for those just beginning or trying to find their way, Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer.
Comer is the author of the popular book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, among many others.[1] He is also the Founder and Teacher of Practicing the Way. This ministry is focused on practicing discipleship in a way that produces followers who become like Jesus. In their words, “Practicing the Way is a Pathway to Becoming Like Jesus in Community.”[2]I found this resource to be helpful as we found our way through the journey of developing both a plan and a rhythm. I encourage you to explore it for yourself to discover how to plan for your Sabbath rhythm.
Sabbath Must be Planned For Thorough Practice
One of the most important elements to remember about the Sabbath is that it must be planned for. If we attempt to keep the Sabbath casually, we will receive only casually. Doing so would be like casually planning a wedding. It might be nice, or it might be catastrophic. Therefore, planning creates an intentionality in our hearts to prepare not only our homes, but our hearts to receive the invitation and gift that the Lord provides through the Sabbath. Of course, it takes time to develop a Sabbath rhythm that feels organic and authentic, but we must be committed to the practice of preparing for it to be that place of delight.
For my family, we developed a plan that settled on a Thursday preparation day. What we discovered was that, if we waited until Friday to prepare for the Sabbath, that we felt as though we were crashing into our Sabbath, rather than entering into it. We discerned that backing up our preparation for the Sabbath allowed us margin to breathe our way into what God has planned, versus rushing until the very end. It is difficult to have a mindset of delight when your mind is focused on all of the things that did not get done in your preparation. That does not remove all of that feeling at first. But it became less over time because our hearts and minds default to what awaits us. Also, to better enter into our Sabbath, I avoid planning any stressful events, meetings, or appointments that I know will not breathe life into our Sabbath. I am not always able to avoid those things, but when at all able to control our schedule, I do. Utilizing the resource that Comer created, we found a plan and rhythm that breathes life into our family. And so I want to share how our family implements the Sabbath in four specific ways that Comer teaches: stop, rest, delight, and worship.[3]
Stop
We learned that the word Sabbath in Hebrew in its simplest form is “to stop.” When we choose to stop our usual schedules of work, school, etc., we choose to align ourselves with the peace that God has for us. During our Sabbath, we stop all paid work and schoolwork. This means we do not check emails, answer calls, or lend ourselves to paid areas. This does not mean that our phones do not ring, it means that unless it is an emergency, we do not engage in conversations related to work or school. We believe as God believes that work is good, but it also has its proper place in our hearts. By doing so, we recognize God as the one who completes all things.
Rest
Not to be confused with inactivity, we embrace the rest that the Sabbath offers. Because we are resisting the impact of the external world, we choose this time to resist the impulses that come from a consumer-driven society. During this time, we choose to remain phone-free to resist consuming the goods that are so freely available. This can include grocery shopping, ordering out, and even buying household goods. If it is not an emergency, it can usually wait. The beauty of preparation is that it has taken care of the needs of our household. This rest has more to do with what is not necessarily needed but desired.
Delight
This is one of my favorite parts! It has taken time, and will still take time to discover more deeply. Delight is not the same thing as doing what feels good. It is doing what delights us in the Lord. Our Sabbaths in this season look like having a potluck with our small group and feasting on God’s goodness. It is filled with tears and laughter. Most importantly, it is filled with God’s presence. At times, it will only include our family. But the goal of delight is a community to share it with. This often means a time of delight with those we delight in.
Worship
Last but not least, worship. When we set aside holy time to worship, we develop our awareness of God’s nearness to us. What we do during this time impacts how we view the rest of our week. To be honest, I can tell when our Sabbath has not been fruitful. The rest of the week often feels heavier. Something about the worship that begins on the Sabbath permeates the fabric of the remaining six days. In essence, the worship we practice during the Sabbath is a glimpse of the eternity of worship that awaits us. As a family, we are still growing in this one. It is something that God is drawing us deeper into. And just like all of the other elements, the Sabbath grows as deep as we are willing to commit to what it offers. We will not be perfect at it, and that is not the intended result. Our prayer is that our worship of the Lord will increase, as our worship of other things decreases.
Conclusion
My prayer for you is that you would allow the grace of God to fill your mind and heart as you develop a Sabbath plan. That it would not be a one-day experience every week. But that it would blossom into a rhythm for the rest of your week with its far-reaching grasp of delight. As Comer shares, “In our era of chronic exhaustion, emotional unhealth, and spiritual stagnation, few things are more necessary than the recovery of this ancient practice.”[4] Sabbath-keeping is a blessed expression of a God who loves the world he created. He was intentional about us living in union with him in a way that benefits everyone and everything we touch. He values us thriving in the stewardship of what he created for us to gain blessing from. May you be blessed as you experience union with the Creator and his creation.
~Natasha
Notes:
[1] John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook, 2019).
[2] Practicing the Way, “About,” Practicing the Way, n.d., https://www.practicingtheway.org/about
[3] John Mark Comer, “The Sabbath Practice,” Practicing the Way, n.d., https://www.practicingtheway.org/sabbath.
[4] Ibid.